A friend of mine asked me recently how I developed my love for reading. I thought my answer would make a great blog post. So here is my story. I always remember loving to read, but the first "novels" I loved were from author Beverly Cleary and her Ramona books. I also loved Anastasia Krupnik books by Lois Lowry, I wanted to name my daughter, Anastasia, at the time. I actually did consider it when I was pregnant, but ended up naming her Alyssa. My all-time favorite childhood novel was "Are you there, God? It's me, Margaret." by Judy Blume. I read it for the first time in 4th grade, but read it several time after that.
By the time I was in Jr. High, I was hooked on Virginia Andrews series, especially the Flowers in the Attic series. However I read all her series. During that time, I also read a lot of Stephen King books. My favorite was The Stand. I was not very adventurous at the time, I did not venture out and read what I didn’t know. For the most part, I only read Virginia Andrews and Stephen King. I did enjoy Go ask Alice by Beatrice Sparks and even some class assigned books including Rascal by Sterling North and Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls.
In high school I stopped reading because of reading books for school, very active social life, etc. I just didn’t have the time or at least thought I didn’t have the time. I didn't read again until I was 19/20 and had my daughter. It was right when Oprah Winfrey introduced her Book Club. I decided to give it another shot, remembering how much I used to love reading. I was still going to school, but had a lot more spare time because I wasn’t working and was home a lot with my daughter. Oprah’s first book selection was The End of the Ocean by Jacqueline Mitchard and I was instantly re-hooked on reading. I haven't stopped since then. I started just reading the Oprah monthly selections and at the time you could write letters on your feelings of the books to her. Sometimes she offered prizes or invites to be part of the audience. I wrote a few letters and received a response on my letter for the novel, The Book of Ruth by Jane Hamilton. I received a call saying I had 2 tickets to a taping in January when the next book would be announced.
I was very excited and yes, I realized tickets are free to a taping, however I still had never gone or have gone since. It was different that I had two tickets reserved from me. I was living with my Aunt at the time and took her with me to the taping. It was a lot of fun and something I will always remember. At the end of the taping her next selection was announced and everyone in the audience received a free copy of She Comes Undone by Wally Lamb. I ABSOLUTELY loved the book and he is still one of my favorite authors. I have read every one was his books.
I read about a book a week, but will not read more than one book at a time. I don’t know how people can do that. I will get the stories confused and really like to focus on the book I’m reading so I can get all the emotion and enjoy it. I still have my favorite authors, but I read a much bigger variety now and will give anything a shot, if recommended to me. My ALL-TIME favorite author is Carol Goodman. I picked up her first novel, The Lake of Dead Languages as a bargain book at Barnes and haven’t stopped reading her since. My book club I was in a couple years ago even had a phone book discussion with her. We were able to discuss all the books she had published at that time since the majority of the members had read her. I HIGHER recommend her. My favorites are The Lake of Dead Languages and Arcadia Falls. He husband is a poet and just recently wrote a novel. I haven’t had a chance to read it, but plan to do soon.
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